WHO IS YOUR FATHER?

“‘I speak what I have seen in the presence of the Father; therefore, you do what you have heard from your father.’

‘Our father is Abraham!’ they replied.

‘If you were Abraham’s children,’ Jesus told them, ‘you would do what Abraham did. But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! You’re doing what your father does.’

‘We weren’t born of sexual immorality,’ they said. ‘We have one Father — God.’

Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I came from God and I am here. For I didn’t come on My own, but He sent Me.’” (John 8:38-42 HCSB)

A while back some friends of my parents came by my house. I was a little fellow the last time they saw me. What were their first words when I invited them in? “That’s Homer!”

Homer is my father. For good or bad, there is no denying I am his son. I not only look like him, but my wife sometimes says I am acting like him! But, that isn’t unusual. We expect to some degree to bear a resemblance to our father.

What is true physically is also true spiritually. In our text today, we see Jesus speaking of three spiritual fathers.

So, let me begin by asking you IS GOD YOUR FATHER?

In a unique way, God is the Father of Jesus Christ. Jesus could refer to Him in a way no one else can. Christ is the only begotten Son of God. He had no human father, being conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin.

Consider this exchange between Jesus and Philip:

“‘Lord,’ said Philip, ‘show us the Father, and that's enough for us.’

Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been among you all this time without your knowing Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”?’” (John 14:8-9)

The New Testament teaches that Christ is the image of the invisible God. The incarnation—Jesus being God in the flesh—is the central theme of John’s Gospel.

Look at how Jesus underscores this in John 8:56-59:

“‘Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it and rejoiced."

The Jews replied, ‘You aren't 50 years old yet, and You've seen Abraham?’

Jesus said to them, ‘I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.’

At that, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple complex.”

Recognizing the uniqueness of Jesus is crucial. There has never been anyone like Him. There are not different roads to the same God—Jesus claimed to be the only Way—none can come to the Father except through Him (see John 14:6).

Although none can ever call God Father in the same sense as Jesus, through Him, we are given the right to be called the children of God.

“But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

We must take on a new nature through a second, spiritual birth. In our natural state, we are children of Adam, and his sinful nature is ours. We sin because we are sinners. The curse upon sin rests upon us.

Look at what Jesus said to the ultra-religious Nicodemus.

“There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Him at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.’

Jesus replied, ‘I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’

‘But how can anyone be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked Him. ‘Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born?’

Jesus answered, ‘I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again.’” (3:1-7).

If we have been born into God’s family, there ought to be some favor. More and more we should be looking like our Father. Paul described that process in 2 Corinthians 3:18:

“We all, with unveiled faces, are reflecting the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Let me pose, then, a second question, IS ABRAHAM YOUR FATHER?

The Jews of Jesus’ day rested on their racial connection to Abraham. Because Abraham’s DNA was biologically infused in each one, they thought this in and of itself made them children of God.

Jesus did not deny the genetic component.

“I know you are descendants of Abraham, but you are trying to kill Me because My word is not welcome among you.” (John 8:37)

The problem is that it was a relationship of flesh and it needed to be a relationship of faith.

“‘Our father is Abraham!’ they replied.

‘If you were Abraham's children,’ Jesus told them, ‘you would do what Abraham did. But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this!’” (John 8:39-40).

Those who are true sons of Abraham have the faith of Abraham—and are justified by it, as he was (see Gen.15:6). They have been circumcised in the heart, not merely the flesh (read Rom.2:29). In fact, even Gentiles like me can become children of Abraham spiritually (Gal.3:6-9).

What did Abraham do? When God called, he left his life of idolatry and submitted to God’s will. He entered into a covenant relationship with God and his walk of faith was demonstrated by his obedience.

Listen to the constant drumbeat, “faith…faith…faith” concerning Abraham:

“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was going to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, co-heirs of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah herself, when she was barren, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the One who had promised was faithful. And therefore from one man-in fact, from one as good as dead-came offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as innumerable as the grains of sand by the seashore. These all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been remembering that land they came from, they would have had opportunity to return. But they now aspire to a better land-a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; he who had received the promises was offering up his unique son, about whom it had been said, In Isaac your seed will be called. He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead, from which he also got him back as an illustration.” (Heb.11:8-19)

Where does saving faith come from?

Listen to this, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom.10:17 NKJV) The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to produce faith in God.

The problem with the Jewish religious leaders that were attacking Jesus is that they were rejecting the Word of God.

“‘I know you are descendants of Abraham, but you are trying to kill Me because My word is not welcome among you. I speak what I have seen in the presence of the Father, and therefore you do what you have heard from your father.’

‘Our father is Abraham!’ they replied.

‘If you were Abraham's children,’ Jesus told them, ‘you would do what Abraham did. But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this!...Who among you can convict Me of sin? If I tell the truth, why don't you believe Me? The one who is from God listens to God's words. This is why you don't listen, because you are not from God.’" (John 8:37-40, 46-47).

How do you respond to the truth? Is there anger, apathy, or acceptance? That reveals your spiritual state.

So, here is the final, sobering question, IS SATAN YOUR FATHER?

It isn’t a question that I want to ask, but one that needs to be asked.

If Abraham is not your spiritual father, then God is not your Heavenly Father. That only leaves one other option—you have a hellish father!

The words of our Lord strike at the heart of the heresy of the universal fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man. I understand that all human life has dignity for we were created in the image of God. But, that image has been marred by sin. Unless you have been born into the family of God by faith in Jesus Christ, you have no right to call God your Father.

If this angers you, then you have classified yourself as one of those who hated Christ—that was their reaction to Him.

There are 2 characteristics of the Devil’s children in which they resemble their daddy. 1) The Son of God came to honor His Father (v.49,50, 54), but the spawn of Satan sought honor for themselves (5:41-44); 2) The Son of God was full of grace and truth (1:14) but the spawn of Satan were full of violence and lies (8:44).

As soon as sin entered the world, these were manifested, as Cain killed his brother and sought to cover it up (read about it in Gen.4:).

Here’s the application:

“I assure you: If anyone keeps My word, he will never see death--ever!" (8:51)

Receive Christ’s Word and have eternal life.

But there is an implication, reject His Word and there is the second death.

You will spend eternity with your father, but which one and where?